A conventional control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that is equipped with a corona discharge-type exhaust emission control device is known, as disclosed, for example, in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-243419). The aforementioned exhaust emission control device burns particulate matter (PM) contained in exhaust gas by generating a corona discharge in the exhaust gas. According to the conventional technology, energy that is introduced into the exhaust gas by a corona discharge is set so as to be equal to or greater than an activation energy required for burning (oxidation) of PM, and thus PM is efficiently purified.